Nili, Daikundi, 01May,2018. Mrs. Bakhtawar has been a teacher in Nili, province of Daikundy, for over 15 years. Throughout this years, the 960 student´s in Niswan Chardaar school premises have seen the pass of time. Lately, in her classroom, the broken windows, and weakly hinged doors were a source of distraction for her students and a threat to the safety and security of the whole student community. The noise of the street vendors and the cars interfered with the lessons. Pedestrians passing by and looking inside the classroom made female students and their families uncomfortable to the point of thinking about quitting their studies. Learning materials got lost and there were almost no supplies for Mrs. Bakhtawar to work. 

By the community getting together to solve this problem, they decided to work on a solution. With the technical support of UN-Habitat Afghanistan Urban Peacebuilding Programme  (AUPP) and the financial support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, they decided to build a wall around the school premises in order to improve safety, security and to bring back focus of the Niswan Chardaar school´s students on their lessons.

“…the movement of animals have been restricted inside the school, also outsiders are now forbidden to enter the school, so students can study in a peaceful and comfortable environment.” Said Mrs. Bakhtawar

Mrs. Bakhtawar,a teacher in Niswan chardaar school- Nili Daikundi

By building a boundary wall and a pavilion, students can now leave some of their books and materials in the classroom. Silence has been restored and everyone finds easier to focus on the topic of the class and on their lessons. 

Students are also very excited to have a volleyball field, a clean green space for their breaks, and a playground protected from outside interference. Making curious bystanders, drug addicts and animals that used to disturb students and teachers a thing of the past. 

The community is also proud of itself and of their organization. Proving able to organize themselves around a problem has brought cohesion, belonging and facilitated following interventions, making clear how safety and security, but overall community participation are prerequisites for better education and for their own development.

Students can safely study inside the school while the school has a boundary wall.

For more information, please contact UN-Habitat’s Head of Communications in Afghanistan, Mr. Koussay Boulaich,

Koussay.boulaich@un.org